I Won't Desert You Now
by I Am Your Singer 2006
Summary: Eponine survives her wounds from the barricade and the immediate aftermath that follows.
1. I Don't Feel Any Pain

Chapter I: I Don't Feel Any Pain

He was going to die today. Twenty-one year old Marius Pontmercy was convinced of that. But it mattered little to him. He had lost what he believed was his only reason for living. Cosette was leaving for England; for reasons, which even she didn't fully realize. They had only met just once the previous evening, and now she was about to walk out of his life forever. Life without her meant nothing to Marius. He now felt as though he had nothing left to lose. That was the only reason he was standing atop of a barricade hastily built by _les Amis de l'ABC, _a group of university students who had dedicated themselves to overthrowing the king and establishing a French republic. Their fearless leader, Enjolras, had decided that their time to strike had come following the death of General Lamarque. As planned, they had interrupted the General's funeral procession and took the streets. Amidst the chaos, they ran towards the Café Musain, where their barricade was to be built. Several other barricades had strategically been built throughout Paris. Here they would make their stand. They waited silently for the National Guard to approach.

At that moment, the students noticed a man approaching the barricade. He was dressed in a blue coat and wore a blue cap covering his eyes.

The students aimed their muskets at him before Enjolras raised his hand and shouted, "Hold your fire! He's the volunteer."

The volunteer quickly climbed up the barricade to reach the students. Once he had made it to the top of the barricade, he lowered his head and solemnly declared, "Friends, I have done as promised. I have scouted the enemy lines and will tell you what I've learned. We are greatly outnumbered, and it is unlikely that we will be able to hold them off."

Enjolras looked around and quickly observed that the other revolutionaries were losing their confidence, for things indeed sounded grim. He realized that he would need to rally their spirits as well as his own, and placed a hand on the volunteer's shoulder. "Have faith, friend," he said reassuringly. "If you have learned their plans, we can overcome them. What have you discovered?" The volunteer raised his head slightly and began, "The National Guard will not attack tonight. They believe that, since we can only rely on the resources at our current disposal, we will be more vulnerable to attack if they wait out. They plan to-"

As he spoke, one of the revolutionaries, a twelve-year old boy named Gavroche, looked at the volunteer with suspicion. He was certain that he had seen this man from somewhere before. His brown eyes and neatly trimmed gray beard seemed vaguely familiar. He thought it odd that the man had his head lowered as he was speaking, almost as though he were trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine where he had seen this man, where he had heard his voice. After a few seconds, it had dawned on him. This man was no "volunteer" as he had claimed. No, this man was the feared Inspector Javert, the most dreaded police man in all of Paris. His eyes immediately snapped back open with fervor as he cried, "Don't believe a word this man says!"

Javert stopped speaking and the rest of the students turned around to face Gavroche. Enjolras stepped over to him and knelt down so that his bright blue eyes were on level with Gavroche. "And why is that, Gavroche?" he asked with curiosity.

"Because that man," Gavroche began as he pointed accusingly at him, "is no volunteer. It's Inspector Javert, come to spy on us!"

Enjolras' eyes widened at this accusation and two other students quickly grabbed Javert by the arm. Enjolras resumed his standing position and stood in front of Javert, ripping his hat from his head and throwing it down onto the ground. Many of the students gasped upon seeing the Inspector, and Grantaire, another student, turned towards Gavroche and encouraged the small boy, "Good job, Gavroche!"

Gavroche shrugged and said with a small smile, "It only goes to show what little people can do." Many of the students chuckled at this remark, but Enjolras was now glaring at the Inspector, who returned the hostile stare.

"You have a child amongst you? Are you mad? This isn't some game! He shouldn't be here!" Javert said incredulously.

"Neither should you!" Gavroche retorted, earning a laugh from the other students. Javert shot Gavroche a look that conveyed both disbelief and annoyance.

"I never thought I'd see the day Inspector Javert would be outwitted, and by our friend Gavroche, no less," Grantaire joked, earning another laugh from the students.

Javert was appalled by this behavior. He had had several previous run-ins with Gavroche, but he hadn't expected to see him at the barricade. It greatly troubled him that Gavroche was there. Despite their unpleasant past encounters, he did not wish to see the boy harmed.

Enjolras did not respond to the Inspector's words. He did not even acknowledge that Javert had spoken. He merely kept his eyes locked on the inspector.

"So," he began, "we have a spy amongst us. We can't have word of our plans reaching the National Guard now, can we?" he asked to himself, but spoke loud enough so that everyone could hear him. He turned back to his friends questioningly.

"How shall we deal with this, friends?"

"Shoot him!" shouted Grantaire, no longer interested in joking around.

"No, we can't waste gunpowder!" Gavroche objected.

"But he might try to escape if we leave him alive!" Grantaire countered.

"We could have someone keep watch on him!" Gavroche argued.

"And have one less person to fight in the battle?" Grantaire asked.

Enjolras weighed these options before he turned to Joly. "Tie him up in the tavern," he instructed, sending the medical student on his way. He then turned back towards the inspector struggling to break free of the students restraining him.

Enjolras leaned in to his face close enough to feel the other man's shivering breath as he raved. "The _people_ will decide your fate, Inspector Javert," he growled saying his name as though it were an insult.

Javert's eyes darkened as he viciously spat, "The 'people' will not be joining you, Enjolras. Your rebellion is doomed to fail. I would suggest you abandon this ridiculous notion before your lives are lost."

Enjolras paid no heed to the inspector's warning and motioned back towards the café. Joly was now joined by Combeferre as the two led Javert away from the barricade. Soon, having secured the prisoner, they returned back to their positions. Enjolras noted that Combeferre was now sporting a black eye. When asked, he explained that Javert had managed to free himself from their grip and had punched him in the face. He would have escaped had Joly not incapacitated him with the butt of his gun. Enjolras nodded as they waited for the National Guard to arrive.

Shortly after that they could hear the daunting sound of rhythmic footsteps echoing throughout the street. They grew louder with each passing second. Within minutes they could see several hundreds of soldiers emerging from around a corner and marching towards the barricades in their crisp blue and red uniforms. They marched in perfect cadence as they held their rifles up high with a naïve sense of pride. As they stopped in front of the barricade, the commander stepped forward and called out, "Who's there?"

Enjolras leaned down and defiantly shouted, "The French Revolution!" The other students cheered loudly. Upon hearing this, the commander ordered his soldiers to affix their bayonets. The army did as they were commanded, one of each man's eyes shut as they aimed with great concentration. Noticing they were prepared, the chief raised his right hand taking in his surroundings.

"Fire!" He shouted, bringing his army back down forcefully and gazing smugly upon this newfound destruction. Destruction his army had inflicted.

A round of muskets fired off and the area was enveloped in smoke. Enjolras ordered the students to fire back, and things quickly became a blur. A few students were wounded. Several members of the National Guard lay dead. Marius was only vaguely aware of what was happening. He felt as though everything was surreal. Musket balls flew past him and yet he didn't even flinch. He had already accepted his fate, whatever it may be. As he aimed his musket at another soldier, he thought he could see from the corner of his eye a gun aiming for him. He made no attempt to move from the line of fire, but was surprised when he saw a hand reach for the gun and pull it away from him, towards their own body. The gun went off but he wasn't shot. Marius did not see if the person who had reached for the gun had been shot. He continued to focus only on what was directly in his line of sight. From what he saw, it was only getting worse. The soldiers were getting closer to the barricade. Javert's "warning" had turned out to be true. There were too far many of them. Marius realized that the barricade would soon be overrun. Growing desperate, Marius grabbed a torch and lit it. He held it high amidst the chaos and shouted, "Stay back or I'll blow up the barricade!"

This caused the fighting on both sides to stop for the briefest of moments. The French commander looked up at Marius incredulously before goading, "Blow up the barricade and take yourself with it!" It would make things easier for the National Guard. They would have one less barricade to focus on, and would be able to concentrate their forces elsewhere. Marius contemplated the commander's words. He knew that the commander wanted him to do this, but it didn't matter to him. Without Cosette, he felt he had no purpose to live.

"And myself with it!" he shouted and lowered the torch towards a barrel of gunpowder. The commander's eyes widened once he realized what Marius was about to do and he quickly shouted for his soldiers to fall back. They quickly retreated, trying to get as far away from the blast as they could. After a few moments, they had vanished from the barricade's sight. As they disappeared from sight, Marius put out the torch and sat himself upon a crate. The first attack had ended, and there didn't appear to be any casualties. The students shouted triumphantly at this, but Enjolras didn't dare consent to the temporary excitement.

"They will soon return," he reminded them. "We need to be on full alert."

As Marius climbed down from the barricade, he thought he heard a voice weakly call out "Monsieur Marius." He dismissed the thought as he placed his rifle on the ground, because there was only one person who would ever address him as such, Éponine, one of his closest friends. He had warned her to stay as far away from the barricade as she could. He had assumed that she had listened to him, because he had not seen her at the barricade. But just as he was about to head towards the café to check on their supplies, once more he heard someone say, "Monsieur Marius." As a light rain began to fall, Marius turned to his right and saw a figure leaning against the barricade wall. He had recognized the person from before, but had paid little attention to the other people present on the barricade, aside from his friends. But his eyes widened as he realized who it was. It was Éponine. He could see her plainly now that her cap had fallen off, revealing her long, thick, dark curls.

"Good God, Éponine, why are you here?" he asked incredulously.

Éponine merely shrugged in response. "I took your letter and gave it to Cosette. Her father said he would give it to her," she explained to him.

Marius couldn't believe that she would risk her own life simply to tell him that she had delivered his letter. Before he could respond to this, she collapsed and fell to the ground. Marius ran to her side and tried to hold her up. Éponine groaned sharply as Marius held on to her.

"Éponine, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Éponine nodded faintly and Marius then asked, "Have I hurt you?"

"A little, could you help me rest against the barricade?"

Marius nodded and gently lowered her to the ground, where she rested her back against the barricade. She then rested her head against Marius' shoulder.

"Did you see a gun aiming for you?" she quietly asked.

Marius nodded once more and answered, "Yes, and a hand pulling it away." He then realized that she had been the one who prevented him from getting shot. Marius quickly realized that Éponine had been shot. He quickly stood back up.

"I'll go get help, 'Ponine. Let me see if Joly can-"

His voice stopped dead at what he saw. Marius could see a large stain on blood on her shirt. Éponine had not been shot in the hand as he had originally thought. He knelt back down and partially unbuttoned the shirt and gasped when he saw a gaping wound just below her chest. Blood was pouring from it with each heartbeat. He looked down and saw that her blood was now all over his hands.

"Oh, God," he cried out in horror, "it's everywhere!" Marius realized that he would have to act fast if there was any way he could save Éponine. She needed immediate medical assistance. Marius needed to get Joly's attention. He looked around frantically and screamed, "Joly, help! Éponine is here on the barricade and has been wounded!"

He was then stopped when Éponine reached up and gently stroked his cheek with her hand.

"Don't worry, Marius. I'm not in any pain," she said as best she could, but the weakness of her voice and the sharp gasps of pain she took betrayed her words. "A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now. You're here, that's all I need to know."

"No, 'Ponine, I won't let you die on me! Look at me, 'Ponine."

Éponine coughed roughly and whispered, "Just hold me now in my last moments. That's all I ask of you."

"Look at me!" he shouted again, not caring that the other students were now gathering around them. "You will make it through this."

"Promise me something, Marius." Éponine said, taking his hand with a startlingly strong grip.

"What is it 'Ponine? Anything," he murmured.

"Promise me that when I die," she began.

"You will _not_ die, 'Ponine!" Marius cried, unable to keep himself from interrupting. He then clutched her body closer to his own, as if delayed protection would prevent death from claiming this poor soul.

"Promise that you will kiss me on my forehead." She looked up at Marius with her dark orbs, barely glazed over with fresh tears. "Somehow…I will feel it."

Marius nodded, still trying to convince himself that his friend would live. "I will do this, 'Ponine," he whispered.

Éponine smiled and then, to Marius' surprise, wrapped both of her arms around his neck and, using what little strength she still possessed, pulled herself upwards and kissed Marius with as much passion as she could. Marius was shocked at first but then returned the kiss. He wasn't thinking of Cosette at that moment. All he was thinking of was Éponine. Tears began to fill his eyes as an intense wave of guilt crashed over him. Éponine was about to die because of a foolish errand. If he had never sent Éponine to find Cosette, she wouldn't have come back to the barricade. She wouldn't have gotten shot. The fact that Cosette was now leaving for England made him feel even worse. In Marius' eyes, Éponine was about to die for nothing. _His closest friend_ was about to die for nothing. He knew that her death would haunt him for the rest of his life. He quickly blinked his eyes and the tears softly fell upon Éponine's cheeks.

He could barely speak from all the sobs he was choking back. "Oh, 'Ponine," he began weakly, "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

Éponine saw how distraught Marius was and managed a weak smile. She softly whispered, "It's alright, Marius. You're here, that's all I need to know. As long as I know that you're here with me, I will die in peace. I will die happy."

Éponine's breath became shorter and weaker. Her vision was starting to fade. Realizing that she was about to die, Éponine realized what she had to do. She had to tell him. She leaned in closer to Marius and whispered, "And then, did you know, Monsieur Marius, I believe that I..." She trailed off and then coughed.

"Yes, 'Ponine?" Marius whispered.

"I believe that..."

She gasped sharply, trying to stay alive long enough to tell him her feelings.

"I believe that I..." she began, but Marius felt her body go limp before she could finish. He gently shook Éponine, as though that would somehow revive her.

"You believe you were what, 'Ponine?" he asked. He gently shook her again, feeling more desperate.

'Ponine, please come back!" he whispered. But as he said the words, he knew. Éponine Thenardier was dead. He no longer made any effort to hold back the sobs he had been holding in. He sobbed bitterly as he clutched Éponine's lifeless body closer to him. "No, 'Ponine, you can't be gone! Oh, God, please, no!" he cried. "She can't be dead! She was my closest friend! Oh, 'Ponine, please come back to me! Please, come back!" His voice lowered to a whisper as he continued sobbing.

…

A/N: Don't worry reader, Éponine is still alive. Since this is my first chapter of my first _Les Misérables _fanfic, I didn't make too many changes from the original story. Special thanks goes to caligirlsd99, who served as a Beta reader and provided a few of the lines. Reviews are very much appreciated.


	2. Saving Éponine

IMPORTANT A/N: If you read the opening chapter on or before August 28, I would advise going back and re-reading it. I have revised the ending. I would also advise that you read the story "To Drive the Cold Winter Away." This story assumes the same universe as that story, and the character of Dr. LeBlanc is from that story. If you do not read it, Javert's characterization will confuse you.

Chapter II: Saving Éponine

Marius stayed there on the ground for several minutes. He refused to believe what had just happened. Éponine could not be dead. He closed his eyes, believing for a moment that when he opened them again, she would somehow be alive. But when he opened them again, he was brought back to a harsh reality. He gently laid Éponine's body on the ground.

"No!" he heard someone cry. He looked up and saw someone trying to fight their way through the students. "Let me through! Please tell me it isn't…"

Marius recognized the voice as that of Gavroche, Éponine's younger brother. He pushed his way through the students and froze when he saw Éponine. Tears immediately began to fill his eyes. He ran forward and wrapped his arms around Éponine as best he could.

"No!" he cried out. "Please, not Éponine!"

Marius felt a hand upon his shoulder. He looked up to see Enjolras staring down at him. "Marius, I'm so sorry," he whispered, tears threatening to fall from his own eyes.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't sent her to find Cosette…" he trailed off before breaking back down into sobs.

Enjolras blinked back his tears. He was their leader, and he felt that he could not appear weak in front of the other revolutionaries. "She is the first of us to fall upon this barricade," he solemnly announced.

Marius rose and stood beside Enjolras. "Her name was Éponine. Her life was cold and dark, yet she was unafraid," he declared, trying to keep his voice firm.

"Let us fight in her name!" Combeferre shouted.

"She will not die in vain!" Prouvaire agreed.

"But she's not dead!" Gavroche suddenly cried.

"Gavroche, I know you're upset," Enjolras began, "but there's no point in denying-"

"No, look! She's still breathing!" Gavroche cried. He pointed down at Éponine. Many of the students gasped when they noticed the soft rise and fall of Éponine's chest. Marius' eyes widened as he whispered, "Thank God."

Joly knelt down beside her and said, "Don't celebrate just yet, Marius. She's lost a lot of blood. She might not make it." He pointed at her bullet wound. "We'll need to stop the bleeding. Could you help me carry her inside the café?"

Marius nodded and quickly rushed to his side. The two men gently picked her up and carried her towards the café. Gavroche stood up and followed closely behind them. The students remained silent as the two carried her away. Enjolras turned his gaze towards them as they entered the café. The other students did the same. Once Marius and Joly laid her down on a table, they heard a voice roughly ask, "É-Éponine? What is she doing here?"

The two men turned around and saw Inspector Javert starring at them. His blue jacket had been removed and he now had a large gash on his forehead, indicating where he had been struck by Joly's rifle. His face turned pale the moment he laid his eyes upon Éponine, and worry marked his every feature.

"Is…is she," he began to ask, finding himself suddenly unable to actually say the word "dead."

Marius quickly shook his head. "No, but she will be if we do not act fast," he answered, not understanding why Javert would show any concern. He turned back towards Joly, who was staring at Éponine's wound. "We'll need to wrap something around the wound. After that, we'll need to take her somewhere. It's not safe here."

"Take my jacket. I don't have any need of it."

Both men turned around and looked at Javert again, confusion marking their faces.

"Why are you concerned with her?" Joly asked.

"It is a long story, and I would rather you spend your time trying to save her than hear it."

Joly stared at him for a moment before Marius quickly said, "He's right, Joly. Don't ask questions now." Joly nodded softly and went to pick up Javert's jacket.

Marius gently lifted Éponine as Joly placed the jacket on the table. After Marius set Éponine back down, Joly wrapped it around her as tightly as he could, tying a very tight knot around her.

"It will be fine for now, but we'll have to remove the bullet soon. We'll need a doctor to do that for her. But it's too risky taking her to a hospital. The National Guard will be looking for survivors."

"We can take her somewhere and send for a doctor, then."

"Send for Dr. LeBlanc."

Marius and Joly once again turned around to look at the inspector. Javert sighed.

"He is my personal doctor. You can trust him. His residence is on Rue Jourdain."

"Can we take her to your place?"

Marius' jaw dropped when Joly said this.

"We can't possibly take her there. Her family lives next door, and I don't want her father coming anywhere near her."

"We can't take her to my place, either. Another barricade is nearby."

"We could take her to my grandfather."

"But didn't you say that your grandfather is a royalist?"

"He is, but he won't turn me away. But I think we should take off our pins. He wouldn't want to see me wearing one and we don't want to draw suspicion from the National Guard."

Gavroche and Joly nodded, both removing their pins and placing them in their pockets. Marius then briefly stepped back outside to inform his friends where they were going. When he walked back into the café, he looked at them and said, "Alright, let's go."

Marius and Joly gently picked up Éponine and carried her out the back of the café, Gavroche following close behind. He was not about to leave his older sister's side. Javert watched silent as the three of them left the café. His eyes were trained on Éponine. He could only hope that she would live. His mind conjured up the image of Éponine gently cradling Gavroche in her arms as he lay on the bed in his guest room. He remembered how shocked he was that someone as despicable as Thénardier could have such lovely children in Éponine, Azelma, and Gavroche. It had given him hope for the younger generation. He closed his eyes and softly whispered, "Heavenly Father, protect them. Let Éponine live."

The sun was beginning to set as the three of them made their way through the streets of Paris. They did not encounter the National Guard as they reached Rue Jourdain. They walked up the stairs to Dr. LeBlanc's house and Marius quickly knocked on the door as they waited. The door soon opened, revealing a man.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

Marius nodded quickly. "Are you Dr. LeBlanc?"

He nodded slowly before he noticed Éponine. His eyes widened as he asked, "Good Lord, what on earth happened?"

"My friend has been shot in the chest and the bullet needs to be removed. Inspector Javert told me I should send for you," he quickly explained.

The doctor's eyebrows rose slightly at the mention of the inspector's name. Were the Thénardier children still in contact with the inspector? No matter, he had a more pressing matter to deal with. He motioned towards his carriage and signaled for them to get in. "Where would you like me to take her?" he asked.

"No. 6 Rue des Filles du Calvaire," Marius replied. It had been several years since he had lived in his grandfather's house, and he wasn't sure how he would feel about seeing him. They had not been on particularly good terms in the months leading up the barricade. He hoped that his grandfather wouldn't turn them away. "As soon as I gather my supplies, we'll be on our way," Dr. LeBlanc said before he turned around and went back inside his house. Marius nodded and the group walked towards the carriage.

Joly pulled open the carriage door and sat at the front. Gavroche entered next and sat opposite him. Marius entered the carriage last and gently laid Éponine so that her head was resting on his lap.

Shortly after they were settled in, Dr. LeBlanc emerged from his house carrying a black bag. He stopped in front of the carriage and looked up at the driver.

"Driver, take us to No. 6 Rue des Filles du Calvaire!" he ordered just before entering the carriage. He quickly shut the carriage door before sitting down next to Joly.

It was a relatively quiet ride in the carriage. Marius was relieved that Dr. LeBlanc hadn't asked _how _Éponine was shot. He wanted to keep a low profile at the moment. He spent most of the time stroking Éponine's hair.

"Hello, Gavroche," Dr. LeBlanc said suddenly.

Gavroche had been watching his sister the entire ride, and quickly looked up as the doctor had addressed him. His eyes were filled with tears as he quietly said, "Hello, monsieur."

"It's good to see that you've fully recovered."

"Thank you."

"Do you two know each other?"

"Yes, I looked after Gavroche while he was in the inspector's care."

"Inspector's care?" Marius repeated in confusion.

"A few months ago I was very ill, and Inspector Javert took me back to his house and helped me recover," Gavroche hastily explained.

Marius raised his eyebrows in surprise. He never would have thought that Inspector Javert of all people would have taken care of Gavroche. Was that why he had offered to help?

"Was Éponine with you?"

Gavroche nodded. "Yes, so was Azelma."

"How is Azelma?" Dr. LeBlanc asked, trying to help ease the tension within the carriage. Gavroche merely shrugged and then said, "I don't see her that often."

At Dr. LeBlanc's confused look he continues, "My parents threw me out when I was little."

"How could your parents do something like that?"

"Gavroche's parents are not very kind," Marius interjected. He knew that was a tremendous understatement, but he felt that he couldn't say much more about it. Dr. LeBlanc did not ask any further questions. He then turned back to Gavroche and asked, "Gavroche, how come you never told us this?"

"I guess I didn't want you to know I was associating with him."

Marius didn't have to ask Gavroche why he felt that. He then nodded and said, "I don't think anyone would have had a problem with it."

At that moment, the carriage came to a sudden stop. "Monsieur, we've arrived," the driver informed him. Dr. LeBlanc got up from his seat and opened the door. Gavroche and Joly quickly followed behind him. Marius gently picked Éponine up and carried her in his arms. He stepped down from the carriage and stopped to look at his grandfather's house. It was a grand white structure with navy blue shutters. Columns lined the front of the house and a pair of lanterns shone on either side of the door. Gavroche's jaw had dropped when he saw the house. "Nice place your grandfather's got," he commented. Marius nodded as he thought back to the many years that he had lived there. He handed Éponine off to Joly, who carried her in his arms. "I think it would be best if I did the talking," he said. Joly nodded.

Marius walked up to the front door and nervously knocked on it a few times. The door immediately opened to reveal a member of Gillenormand's household staff.

"Marius?" he asked in surprise. "You've returned?"

Marius nodded. "Please inform my grandfather that I wish to speak with him."

The butler nodded silently. "I shall fetch him presently."

Marius shuddered as he thought of the last time he had seen his grandfather. It had been the afternoon of the same day that General Lamarque had died. His grandfather had scolded him and told him that he brought shame upon his family. Would he turn him away because of that?

At that moment an elderly man with a tuft of white hair appeared at the front door. He was dressed all in black and carried a black cane in his right hand. Marius instantly recognized him as Gillenormand.

"Hello, grandfather," he began nervously.

"Hello, Marius," the old man said in reply.

"Grandfather, I need your help with something."

His grandfather frowned in disapproval. "Marius, if this is about your rebellion," he began.

"Yes, yes, it is," Marius cut him off. "Éponine, one of my friends, was wounded at the barricade, and she will soon die if she isn't treated. Can you please take us in while she recovers?" He gestured towards Joly, who stepped towards the house. Gavroche stood right beside him. Marius quickly introduced them.

"This is Joly, a medical student and one of my closest friends. And this is Gavroche, Éponine's brother."

Gillenormand looked at both of them before glancing at Éponine. Sweat now matted her hair and her face had turned very pale. It was very obvious that she would die if she were not treated immediately. He then turned back towards Marius. He saw the silent pleading in his grandson's eyes. Whoever this girl was, she was very important to Marius. He was still rather angry with Marius' behavior, but he was not willing to let someone die because of it. He turned back towards the front door and motioned inside. Marius nodded and followed his grandfather inside the house. Joly and Gavroche followed close behind.

"Lucia, please prepare the guest rooms," he ordered a maid. "I suspect that you will be staying here for some time. Not that I mind having you around, Marius. Your room is ready."

"But we will talk about this at some point," he whispered in a tone that left no room for arguing. Marius nodded in defeat, hoping that he could at least delay it for a while.

"Marius, where you would you like me to treat her?"

"She can stay in my room until she recovers."

"I think it would be best if I treated her as soon as possible. Would you show me where your room is?"

Marius nodded and led Dr. LeBlanc up the stairs. Joly followed behind, still carrying Éponine. Marius took them down a long hallway, opening a door to lead them into his bedroom. It was a large, well-furnished room. Joly gently placed Éponine on the bed, while Marius dragged his desk near the bed. Dr. LeBlanc placed his bag on top of the desk and pulled up a chair.

"If I need anything, I will call for you."

Marius and Joly nodded and went back downstairs to meet with Gavroche. Gillenormand was still standing with them.

"Are any of you hungry?"

It suddenly dawned on them that they hadn't eaten since early that morning. It had probably been a few days since Gavroche had eaten. So it was no surprise that they all quickly nodded their heads. Gillenormand nodded and motioned towards the dining room. Soon the three of them were seated around a table. If the circumstances had been different, Marius would have smiled as he watched Gavroche eat. He was eating his soup very quickly. Marius knew this was more than what Gavroche was used to.

"Gavroche," he called out to the young boy.

Gavroche hesitantly looked up from his bowl of soup and looked at Marius.

"I think it would be best if you ate slowly," he reminded him.

Gavroche nodded and slowed his eating. Marius noted that Gavroche probably wasn't that used to eating much.

"I don't think you should eat too much. You could get sick."

Gavroche nodded once again and continued eating his soup. Marius hoped that Gavroche wouldn't have any problems with this. The boy didn't get too many chances to eat and he was slightly worried that he would overeat now. Gavroche seemed to tell what Marius was thinking and reassured him, "Don't worry, Marius, this is still more than I'm used to. I'll be fine." He then smiled at him to show that things were alright. Marius returned the smile and turned his attention back to his own bowl of soup.

A few hours later, Dr. LeBlanc emerged from Marius' room. Marius and Gavroche quickly approached him as they saw him walking down the stairs.

"I was able to remove the bullet. Fortunately for her it did not shatter and did not strike any vital organs. I have bandaged the wound. I would suggest applying new bandages every few hours. She will be fine. I expect her to make a full recovery."

He reached into his black bag and took out several rolls of bandages and a bottle of pills.

"She has not yet woken up. If she is in any pain, this should help her." He handed the bottle to Marius, who nodded as he took it.

"I've done all I can for her for the time being. If she has any complications, please feel free to send for me again."

…

Éponine's eyelids slowly fluttered open. One of the first things she noticed was the searing pain in her chest. She gasped and bit down on her lip to keep herself from screaming. She wanted to sit up but she was in too much pain to move.

"Oh, Éponine, you're awake!" a familiar voice cried.

Éponine was distracted from her pain when a young boy threw his arms around her as she still lay in the bed.

"Oh, Éponine, I'm so happy you're alright! I was so worried about you!"

Éponine was happy to see her younger brother but was in more pain from how tightly he was hugging her. She gasped again and whispered, "Gavroche, can't breathe…"

Gavroche stepped back when he heard this and jumped off the bed. He grinned in embarrassment and said, "I'm sorry, Éponine. I'm just so happy that you're alive."

Éponine soon found herself smiling. "I'm happy to see you too, Gavroche. But where are we?"

"Marius took us to his grandfather's house," he explained.

Éponine soon found the smile vanish from her lips. She had done all she could to keep him from dying. But was it enough?

"Marius? Is he…oh, Gavroche, please tell me he isn't…"

"Yes, he's alright," he quickly answered, smiling knowingly. "Want me to let him know you're alright?" The smile quickly returned to Éponine as she quickly nodded. Gavroche bolted for the door and threw it open. He dashed into the hall and shouted down, "Éponine's awake!"

Marius and Joly both heard him and quickly ran up the stairs. They both smiled upon seeing Éponine alive. Marius sat down at Éponine's side and gently stroked her hair. Éponine smiled happily as he did so. Many questions ran through his mind as he sat there. Why had she come back to the barricade? Why did she throw herself in front of that gun? What had she tried to say before she passed out? But those questions could wait for some other time. He was merely relieved that Éponine had lived.

"Are you feeling alright, 'Ponine?" he gently asked. He felt a little silly for asking that, since she had just been shot. "Are you in any pain?" he quickly asked.

Éponine nodded and said, "A little."

Marius handed her the bottle of painkillers and said, "The doctor told me that you could have these if you were in any pain. I'll go and get you some water."

Marius turned and went back into the hallway. As soon as he had left, Éponine looked at Joly and asked, "How is everyone?"

Joly sighed. It was bound to come up at some point. "We were able to hold off the first attack with no casualties. But I don't plan to go back tomorrow. I think it would be best if I stayed here and looked after you."

Éponine frowned. "Don't mind me, Joly. You don't need to look after me. I can take care of myself."

Joly smirked. "Sure you can, but I wouldn't feel right leaving you here. I don't think any of us would."

Gavroche firmly shook his head. "I won't leave your side, Éponine. I couldn't fight not knowing if you were alright."

Éponine smiled again. She would never admit it, but she didn't like the idea of Gavroche fighting. "Thank you," she whispered.

At that moment Marius returned with a glass of water. Joly stood up and Marius resumed his place where he had been sitting earlier. He helped Éponine sit up and handed her one of the pills before giving her the glass of water, which she readily drank.

"We should let you rest for a while."

Marius rose from her bedside while Gavroche and Joly went back into the hallway. Marius turned to leave but then stopped suddenly. He quickly walked back over to Éponine and gently kissed her on the forehead. Éponine's eyes widened a bit, and he smiled at her. "Goodnight, 'Ponine," he whispered before going back into the hallway. He went back downstairs and placed the empty glass in the kitchen. As he was about to leave the kitchen, he remembered that his grandfather wanted to speak with him about what had happened. But he didn't feel like arguing with his grandfather at that hour. He decided he would try to sneak back upstairs so he could go to sleep. As he tried to sneak past his grandfather's study, he heard Gillenormand's stern voice call out, "Marius."

He cringed as he froze in his spot. He briefly considered running, but he realized that his grandfather would know that he had heard him. He slowly turned to his right and peeked into the room. His grandfather was glaring right at him. Marius sighed. He knew that he could not delay it any longer. He took a deep breath and entered his grandfather's study.

…

Let me know if parts of this chapter appear rushed.


	3. My Place Is Here, I Fight With You

A/N: I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own Les Miserables or any of its characters. I also don't own Mlle. Pascal. She appears in the fanfic _To Drive the Cold Winter Away_. I would suggest reading it if you want this to make sense.

Chapter III: My Place Is Here, I Fight With You

"_Dearest Cosette, you have entered my soul and soon you will be gone. Can it be only a day since we met and the world was reborn? If I should fall in the battle to come, let this be my goodbye. Now that I know you love me as well it is harder to die. I pray that God will bring me home to be with you. Pray for your Marius, he prays for you!"_

Jean Valjean couldn't take his mind off of Marius' letter to Cosette. It wasn't the fact that Cosette was in love that bothered him. No, he knew that it was bound to happen at some point. He pondered over what this Marius had written to his daughter. She was apparently in love with him, and he returned her feelings. It had answered why Cosette had been so distraught about leaving for England. It pained him to see her so distraught, but he felt there was no choice. It was too risky staying in France. He knew too well that Javert would never stop searching for him until he was back in prison. But what if they were able to return one day? Would they one day marry?

He decided that he would try to go to the barricade and see who this Marius was. He would see if he could keep him safe from harm.

"Cosette?"

"Yes, papa?" she asked as she twirled her single braid of blonde hair.

"I have to go somewhere. It may be a while before I return. Please do not leave while I'm away."

Valjean made his way for the door but then stopped just before he was about to open it. He realized that soldiers would be patrolling the area. He would need a disguise if he wanted to reach the barricade. Valjean had remembered to pack all of his possessions. That had included his National Guard uniform. He didn't want to leave any trace of evidence through which they could find him. Aside from that, Valjean saw no practical reason for packing it. He obviously wouldn't have any use for it in England. But now he was glad that he had. Valjean stepped into the bathroom and changed into the uniform. He frowned when he realized that he didn't have a gun. He hoped that he could find one before he reached the barricade. But how would he be able to reach the barricade? The students wouldn't trust him because of his uniform. He then thought of Cosette's letter. Marius would be able to identify it. He discreetly pocketed the letter.

Valjean left the small room they were staying in and stepped out into the night air. A cool breeze brushed past him as he began to make his way towards the barricade. The streets were empty. As he drew closer, he noticed the bodies of fallen soldiers. He sent up a small prayer for the repose of their souls, and for those who might still fall in the rebellion. By the time he reached the café Musain, he noticed a soldier just outside the barricade's sight. He quickly ducked behind a corner to avoid being noticed. He realized that he would draw suspicion to himself without a musket. _The fallen soldiers,_ he thought to himself. The idea disgusted him, but it was his only option. He turned around and went back to the nearest fallen soldier he could find. He picked up the gun and checked to see if there were any bullets left in it. He hoped that he wouldn't need to fire it. Finding that it was still loaded, he approached the soldier on patrol, who silently waved him though. Valjean nodded and walked past the soldier.

As he approached the barricade, several of the students quickly trained their guns on him. One of them shouted, "Halt!"

Valjean obeyed and looked up towards the barricade. He could only see one of the students, a young man with curly blond hair, and wearing a bright red jacket. Valjean assumed that this man was their leader.

"Who among you is named Marius?" Valjean asked.

Many of the students looked at him and confusion and began to whisper amongst themselves. Valjean realized that they didn't know who he was and was not surprised. After a few seconds the one wearing the red jacket called down, "Why does he concern you?"

"My name is Fauchelevant! I am Cosette's guardian," he called up. The students began to whisper amongst themselves once more. Valjean patiently waited, hoping that they would let him through. After a few minutes, two students climbed down from the barricade and stood at his side. They assisted him in climbing the barricade and brought him face to face with the blond-haired man. Valjean noticed that his face was streaked with dirt and sweat. He examined Valjean closely before commenting, "You're wearing an army uniform."

Valjean nodded and said dryly, "Yes, that is how I got through."

The leader briefly glared at him. He then grabbed Valjean by the arm and dragged him towards the Café.

"Are you another 'volunteer' like we had earlier today? It turns out that our 'volunteer' was nothing but a spy!" He pointed in disgust at their prisoner, whom Valjean immediately recognized as his nemesis, Inspector Javert.

"How do I know you're not like him?" he asked accusingly.

Javert looked as though he was about to raise his head to speak when Valjean quickly reached into his pocket and produced the letter that Marius had written to Cosette. The young man took the letter and recognized the handwriting as Marius'. He took Valjean by the arm and led him back outside.

"Marius has left," he informed him. "He is not at the barricade. I don't expect him to return. A young girl was shot and he took her back to his relative's home so that she could…"

As the young man was speaking, Valjean noticed something out the corner of his eye. Something was moving on one of the rooftops. He turned to his left and his eyes widened at what he saw. A soldier was aiming his gun at the young man who was speaking to him. Valjean roughly shoved the young man to the ground and shouted, "Enemy marksman!" He raised his gun and took quick aim at the soldier who was about to fire. The soldier was now adjusting his aim. It gave Valjean ample time to adjust his aim. Before the soldier could fire a shot, Valjean pulled down on the trigger of his own gun, and the sound of a gunshot pierced through the silence. As the spark and haze of gunpowder dispersed, Valjean saw the soldier run and hide. The students breathed a sigh of relief that their leader had been saved. Any doubt to Valjean's loyalty had disappeared. The leader slowly rose to his feet and said, "Thank you, monsieur. If not for you, I would be dead. We shall all thank you after we have won."

Valjean managed a small smile.

"There is no need to thank me, monsieur. If Marius is not here, I must leave now. There is something you may do something for me."

"If it is within my power, I shall do it."

Valjean turned his gaze back towards the Café. "Let me deal with the prisoner."

The leader looked intently at Valjean. "You may do this."

Valjean nodded and walked back into the Café. He knelt beside Javert and began to remove the bayonet from his musket.

"Somehow I knew it would come to this. One of us would die at the other's hands. This is what you've wanted, isn't it? You wanted to humiliate me. See me die by your hand. And you have to do it wearing the same uniform I once wore. You are disgracing the very uniform I wore!"

Valjean paused from his work and turned his gaze to the inspector. Javert closed his eyes, accepting his death. He believed that he had done all he could, that Valjean had simply outsmarted him. "This was my uniform once, too," he told him. Javert's eyes snapped back open when he heard this.

"What?"

"I served in the National Guard."

Javert did not respond to this as Valjean once again began to remove the bayonet from his musket.

"You, of all people, would use a knife." He then closed his eyes again but opened them quickly as Valjean grabbed at his wrists.

"You talk too much, Javert."

Javert watched in disbelief as Valjean cut the ropes that bound his hands. He was then suddenly pulled to his feet as Valjean dragged him through the back of the café and into a back alley. Valjean roughly shoved him away. As Javert gained his footing, he turned around and looked at Valjean in confusion.

"I don't understand," he said simply.

Valjean looked at him without emotion. "There is nothing to understand. I did what I thought was right. Now go."

Javert bitterly scoffed. "What do you know of what is right? You are you criminal, and you will always be a criminal. I know not what game you're playing, Valjean, but this changes nothing. You will still answer to Javert. You will still answer to the law."

Valjean's eyes narrowed. "No, Javert, what do you know of what is right? You are wrong about me. You have always been wrong about me. You were wrong about me when we were both in Montreuil. You were wrong about me when I was released from Toulon. You were wrong about me when you first saw me. I am simply a man. I am no better or worse than any other man. But I place no blame on you. You were sworn to uphold your duty, and have done it admirably. I hold no grudge against you. I'm not playing any game here."

On that he raised his gun into the air and fired a single shot. Javert started back but then resumed his ground. Valjean lowered his gun and retrained his eyes on Javert. "Go, inspector," he whispered. Javert warily began to step backwards. He would not turn his back on a man holding a gun. As he reached the back of the alleyway, he turned and broke into a sprint, not stopping until he reached his home on 26 Rue De La Fayette. Valjean sighed and made his way back to where he and Cosette were staying.

…

Javert was nearly short of breath as he stopped in front of the door to his home. The day had been a complete disaster. He had been exposed during his undercover assignment. Gavroche and Éponine were present at the barricade. Éponine had been shot. He didn't even know if she had survived. As he reached for the door handle, he knew he would have to repeat all these things to his maid. He knew she would be horrified. Javert remained silent as he turned the knob and pulled the door open. As soon as he stepped inside the hall way, he could hear Mlle. Pascal coming down the stairs.

"Monsieur, how did your assignment…" She trailed off and gasped when she saw the inspector. His hair was now unkempt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and the large gash on his forehead had long since dried up.

"Good Lord, monsieur, are you alright?"

Javert wearily raised his eyes to meet hers and gave a long sigh.

"It was terrible. I was exposed shortly before the attack began."

"But how? I didn't think you knew any of the students."

"Gavroche," he said simply.

"I don't understand."

"Gavroche was there. _He_ exposed me."

Mlle. Pascal's face turned white. "He was at the barricade?"

Javert nodded. "He wasn't among those fighting, however. He was assigned to make sure that I didn't escape."

"But he still shouldn't have been there."

"And that was what I told him, but he responded to this by calling me a traitor."

Javert then paused and braced himself for what he was sure was to come next. "He only left after he had learned that Éponine had been shot."

Mlle. Pascal gasped again and covered her hand with her mouth. "Oh, God, the poor girl," she whispered.

"One of the students mentioned something about taking her to his grandfather's house. She was alive when they left, but she didn't look particularly good."

Javert suspected that she would soon ask if Azelma had been there. He remembered how she had bonded with the younger sister one evening.

"I did not see Azelma there."

Mlle. Pascal sighed in relief.

"How did you escape?"

This question cut through Javert more than anything else Mlle. Pascal had asked. He winced as he remembered the entire incident.

"It is a very long story."

"How about you tell me over supper?"

In truth Javert wanted nothing more than to forget the entire incident altogether. Nearly everything that had happened that day had shaken the foundation of everything Javert believed. And he feared this even more than death. Javert found himself unable to comprehend Valjean's actions. As he stared at his maid, he thought that maybe this was something he shouldn't try to decipher alone. In resignation, he slowly nodded his head.

Mlle. Pascal turned and walked towards the kitchen. Javert sat down in one of his chairs and placed his head in his hands. As he closed his eyes, he was haunted by visions of what had occurred that day. He saw Gavroche exposing his identity, not realizing that he was undoing all of Javert's efforts to keep him away from harm. He then saw Éponine's still body, pale from loss of blood. Would she make it? But worst of all, he saw Valjean cutting him loose, setting him free, and telling him that he had been wrong about him this whole time. Javert would have dismissed the notion just a day earlier, but now he began to wonder if Valjean may have been right. Was he wrong? Had he always been wrong? He had no further time to ponder these things when Mlle. Pascal informed him that she had prepared dinner. Javert slowly stood up and moved to join Mlle. Pascal in the dining room.

…

Marius froze when he heard his grandfather address him. He briefly hesitated, pondering whether he could sneak past the room without his grandfather noticing. One look to his right ended that thought. His grandfather was staring directly at him. He sighed and stepped into the room. Gillenormand directed him towards a chair across from his desk. Marius silently sat down in the chair as his grandfather began to pace back and forth.

"I saw your little act at General Lamarque's funeral today," he began.

"I'm surprised you were even there. Since when did you start caring about the people of France?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"I thought I raised you better than this."

"You kept me from my own father," Marius bitterly retorted. "He would have been more than happy to have me back."

Gillenormand gave no indication that he had heard Marius. "You barely keep in touch with me. And you only write me or visit me when you need something. You live in the slums. You live among street rats, and you have the nerve to bring one to my door."

"That's enough!" Marius shouted.

"No, it's not enough. It's never enough for you. You have rebelled against the king. That display with your friends yesterday afternoon was bad enough. But now I have witnessed my own grandson commit treason. My own grandson is a traitor to the crown. Did you not stop to think about how this would impact our family's reputation?"

"If the king would have listened to his people, then it wouldn't have come to this."

"Damn it, Marius, this isn't some game. Your friend got shot because of this. Does that not concern you at all?"

"Do you even care about her? She's just a street rat to you, isn't she?"

"I will not have you use that tone of voice with me, Marius."

Gillenormand sighed. He realized that he would not get through to Marius. He turned back towards his grandson.

"I have nothing further to say."

Marius turned and stepped back into the hallway. He slowly walked up the stairs towards his room. He thought about everything that had happened that day. But the one thing he kept thinking about was how Cosette was leaving.

_Life without Cosette means nothing at all._

He thought about this as he stepped into his room. He knew what he would do. He would go back to the barricade.

…

Dawn had come on the morning of June 6th. Graintaire emerged from Café Musain, shaking his head. Enjolras was standing at the foot of the barricade, looking up at Courfeyrac.

"Enjolras?"

The leader turned back to look at Grantaire, a somber expression on his face.

"We're low on ammunition," he informed him.

"And we're the only ones left."

The other students turned and looked at him incredulously.

No one had come as he had anticipated. The students were fighting alone. He gave a long sigh. "The inspector was right. The people have not stirred," he solemnly declared. He realized now that their fight was hopeless. They could not overcome the National Guard. Combeferre stood beside him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "But this is the people's fight. We must not abandon them."

Enjolras continued to stare out at the street and muttered, "But that means nothing. It is no use. We cannot hope to prevail. I don't wish to throw away my friends' lives for a hopeless cause."

Enjolras turned back towards his remaining friends and said, "Anyone who wishes to leave may go. I do not wish to see you die."

Some of the students turned to look at each other but otherwise remained where they had been standing. They all turned around sharply when they heard a voice singing from the entrance to the Café.

"Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men? It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again. When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums, there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes."

Enjolras blinked a few times, thinking that he was imagining things. But each time he blinked, he saw the same thing. Standing there at the café, was Marius Pontmercy. He had come back. He stepped towards him and grabbed him by the arm.

"Marius, what the Hell are you doing here?"

"My place is here. I fight with you."

"You should have stayed behind. We have no chance of winning. You are going to die here."

"I have no reason to live."

Enjolras' jaw dropped. "Marius, if this is about Cosette," he began.

"The National Guard is coming back!" Courfeyrac announced from atop the barricade. Enjolras didn't bother finishing is sentence. Each student grabbed their guns and resumed their places. Each one knew that here would be their last stand.

…

Joly awoke early that morning. He made his way downstairs and found Gillenormand sitting in the dining room. "Good morning, monsieur," he greeted him. The elderly man looked up and simply said, "Good morning. Breakfast is ready, if you're hungry."

Joly nodded and turned to the maid. "I will soon need to bandage Éponine's wounds. Would you please prepare a plate for her?"

The maid nodded and exited the room. Joly sat down and asked, "Is Marius awake yet?" Gillenormand shook his head. "He hasn't left his room yet. I'm not sure he'll be joining us for breakfast." Joly looked at him curiously and asked, "Why do you suspect that?" Gillenormand's expression softened. "He and I had a rather heated argument before he went to bed." Joly nodded and waited for the maid to return. She soon returned with two plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, and a croissant. Joly quickly ate his plate before carrying the other plate to Éponine's room. The maid followed close behind carrying a tray. Joly stopped to place the plate on the ray before knocking on the door. After Éponine gently said, "Come in," he opened the door and entered the room.

"Éponine, are you feeling any better?"

She nodded.

"Can I please see Marius?"

Joly smirked, knowing that she'd want to see him. He then helped her into an upright position. "As soon as you're done eating and I've bandaged your wounds, I can try to take you to him."

The maid then placed the tray on Éponine's lap. Éponine stared at the tray for a minute before she quickly began to eat its contents. Whether this was because she was hungry or wanted to see Marius as soon as possible, Joly wasn't sure. Regardless, he quietly waited for Éponine to finish. "Are you in any pain?" he asked her. Éponine nodded. Joly reached for the bottle of painkillers and poured out a small handful of pills. He handed one to Éponine, who quickly downed it with a sip of her tea. After she had finished her tea, Joly asked, "Are you ready for me to reapply your bandages?"

She nodded. Joly sat down on the edge of her bed and began to unfasten the top few buttons of her shirt. Éponine tensed slightly but Joly continued as he began to unwind the bandages from the previous night. Her wound had slowly begun to heal. He quickly wrapped fresh bandages around her chest, fastening them in place with a pin. After he was done with that he dressed Éponine back up in her shirt.

"Are you ready to see Marius now?"

Éponine smiled and nodded. Joly gently wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders and said, "I don't think you should try walking just yet." Before Éponine could protest, he added, "Just let me help you." She slowly nodded. Joly placed his other arm under her knees and slowly picked her up. He gently carried her out of the room and across the hallway. The maid followed them. When they reached Marius' bedroom door, Joly set Éponine down on the floor and knocked on it. When Marius didn't answer right away, he called out, "Marius, are you awake yet?" There was no answer from inside the room. Joly slowly turned the doorknob and cautiously opened the door. As he peeked inside, he saw that Marius was not in his room. His eyes widened. He then opened the door all the way and stepped inside. He turned back towards Éponine, who was now holding onto the maid. They both exchanged confused glances before turning back towards the bed. Éponine noticed that a small piece of paper lay on top of the pillow. Joly thought it would be better if Éponine were sitting down, so he motioned for the maid to bring her to the bed. She was gently placed down on the bed and she reached for the paper. She gasped when she saw what was written on it and covered her mouth with her hand. "No," she whispered. Tears began to form in her eyes. "No, no, no, no, no," she repeated over and over again, her voice rising each time she said it. "No!" she finally cried, now nearly hysterical. "Éponine, what has gotten into you?" he asked. Éponine responded by weakly holding out the paper towards him. Joly took it from her hands and read the single sentence on the paper.

"_Vive la France!"_

Joly realized what this meant. Marius had gone back to the barricade. "I'm going to kill him," he muttered.

This made Éponine seem to sob even harder. Joly soon realized that he probably shouldn't have said that. He winced at his words.

"What's all the commotion?"

Joly looked up and saw Gillenormand standing in the doorway, Gavroche right behind him.

"Where is Marius?" Gavroche asked, noticing that Marius wasn't in the room. Joly stood up and nervously faced Gillenormand.

"He's gone back to the barricade."

There was a collective gasp from everyone in the room. Gillenormand silently looked down at the floor. Gavroche looked towards Éponine and saw her crying. He quickly walked over towards the bed and sat down next to her, wrapping his arms around her. Éponine slowly buried her face in his chest, soft sobs escaping from her mouth.

"I can calm her," he said to everyone in the room.

Joly walked over towards the open doorway and approached Gillenormand.

"I will try and see if I can save Marius."

Gillenormand stared at him, his expression silently telling him that he did not understand what he meant.

"I will return to the barricade and try to bring him back. I know it will be dangerous."

He stepped back into the hallway before Gillenormand could respond. Gillenormand sighed, hoping that Joly would bring Marius home safely. He turned to his maid.

We should leave them," he said, signaling towards Éponine and Gavroche. The maid nodded and the two of them left the room. Gavroche continued to hold his older sister as she cried into his chest.

"He's going to die," she whimpered.

"Éponine, you don't know that."

Éponine released herself from his embrace and looked down at him.

"But you saw how outnumbered we were. They're all going to die. And Marius will never learn that I love him."

Gavroche nodded and wrapped his arms around her. He wanted nothing more than to make Éponine feel better. But he knew that she was right. Their friends didn't stand much of a chance against the National Guard. He then remembered the lullaby she had sung to him while they were staying at Javert's house. He leaned in closer and began to sing to her.

"_Sleep my child and peace attend thee,_

_All through the night,_

_Guardian angels God will send thee,_

_All through the night_

_Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,_

_Hill and dale in slumber sleeping_

_I my loving watch am keeping,_

_All through the night."_

As he finished singing, he noticed that Éponine's sobs had lessened. He softly released her from his embrace and whispered, "Éponine, please promise me something."

Éponine looked at Gavroche intently.

"Promise me that, if Marius lives, you'll tell him."

Éponine vigorously shook her head. "Gavroche, I can't. Marius could never love me."

"Please, Éponine. It hurts me too much to see you like this."

Éponine closed her eyes, blinking back fresh tears. She had never wanted to bring Gavroche or Azelma into this. But Gavroche knew how she felt about Marius. And it hurt him nearly as much. She couldn't have that. Éponine opened her eyes again and slowly nodded.

"Okay, I'll tell him," she said weakly.

Gavroche quickly threw his arms around her. "Thank you, Éponine." He quickly jumped down from the bed and ran back into the hallway. Éponine found herself smiling. She would finally tell him. But then she remembered what Gavroche had said.

_He has to live._

She then clasped her hands together in prayer and whispered, "Please, God, let him live. I can't lose him. He's the only thing that makes my life worth living."

…


	4. The Barricade Falls

Chapter IV: The Barricade Falls

Javert was not looking forward to reporting into the National Guard's headquarters that morning. He was expected to give his report on the barricade to his commanding officer. He would not have shown any hesitation had this been one day earlier. But so many things had changed in the past day. He thought of Gavroche, of Éponine, of Valjean releasing him. Nothing felt right anymore. Did he sympathize with the revolutionaries? Javert quickly dismissed the notion. As an officer of the law, he had a duty to end this rebellion. But then he thought of Gavroche and Éponine. He cared about them, even though they were part of this rebellion. In the eyes of the law, they had committed treason, although Javert was reluctant to consider them traitors. He didn't quite believe it himself. He felt that he knew them both well enough to know who they really were.

Javert sighed as he entered the police headquarters. It wouldn't do him any good to think about that. The police headquarters were particularly busy that morning. Javert knew why. The rebellion called for every single man to be available. It would probably be like this until the rebellion had ended. He swiftly made his way to the French commander's office. He entered the room and saw him sitting at his desk. He looked up from his paperwork as he saw Javert walk into the room. He gestured towards the chair opposite his desk and Javert sat down.

"Good morning, Inspector. I was expecting you to report back in last night."

"Yes, I was…detained."

"Oh? Care to explain?"

"I was exposed shortly before the attack. They held me captive during the first attack."

"You cannot afford to be careless, Inspector. We could have used what intelligence you had gathered. But I suppose we can use it now. What have you learned of them?"

"They don't stand a chance against you. There are only a handful of students at the barricade in front of the Café. They had relied almost entirely on people rising up and joining them, but to my knowledge that hasn't happened."

"Then it would appear that they are contained. Our soldiers and artillery will soon overrun them. They will soon be crushed and this silly rebellion will soon be over."

As he was speaking, Javert stood up and walked towards the window overlooking the streets.

"Yes, I suppose it will," he said distantly.

The French commander turned and looked at Javert. "Does this not please you, Inspector?"

Javert hesitated. He should have at least felt relieved that the rebellion would soon be defeated. The streets would once again be safe. But at what cost? He felt that he could not agree with the students' actions, but he found no satisfaction in their impending demise. If anything, he dreaded it. How would Gavroche feel if all of his friends were to fall? How would Éponine feel? Had she been there because she believed in their cause? Was it because of one of the students? Was she there because Gavroche was there? She must have known that he would be fighting. He finally turned and shook his head.

The commander hesitantly rose from his seat. "I would have that that, as an officer of the law, this would please you."

Javert's eyes narrowed. "No, officer. It does not. I have never allowed emotions to dictate my actions. I do not arrest people because I derive satisfaction from it. I do it because the law requires me to do it. That is all I have ever done. One thing that I have learned from experience is that if you allow emotions to rule over you, you suddenly begin to doubt everything you have ever believed. Such a course of action would only bring chaos. And it is because of that that I find myself in the predicament I am in now."

The commanding officer furrowed his brow at this. "What predicament is that, Inspector?"

Javert once again hesitated. "I…I personally know two of the revolutionaries. One of them was seriously wounded in the first attack. The revolutionary in question is a twelve-year old boy named Gavroche. A few months ago I encountered him underneath a bridge. He was seriously ill and would have died if he did not receive immediate medical attention. His two older sisters begged me to help him. I had had several run-ins with him in the past, but I was not about to let him die on my watch, so I took them back to my house. For the next few weeks, the three of them were guests in my home. I came to care for Gavroche as though he were my own son."

"And who was the other revolutionary?"

"His older sister, Éponine. She was the one who was wounded."

The commander raised his eyebrows at this. "A girl was present? What was she doing there?"

"I don't know, officer. She could have been protecting Gavroche. She probably knew he would be there. But I do not know for certain."

"So is it the fact that the two of them were there that troubles you?"

"It goes beyond that. One evening I overheard the younger sister having a conversation with my maid. She mentioned that her parents once owned an inn in another town. She and her family have lived in poverty since losing the inn several years ago. The boy no longer lives at home. He was apparently thrown out for reasons I haven't learned. It is a story I have heard far too many times for my liking. I feel that I can understand why these students are fighting."

"Are you saying that you condone their actions?"

Javert vehemently shook his head. "I am merely saying that I can sympathize with them. These students, though I may disagree with their means, are seeking to build a better France. Their motives have struck a chord with my own past. Gavroche and his sisters have become almost a symbol for their revolution. I do not wish for further harm to come to them."

He then stepped towards the officer and looked him directly in the eyes.

"I want you to offer them one last chance to surrender."

"Inspector, you cannot possibly be serious!" the commander objected.

Javert took a step forward and glared daggers at the officer. "I am deathly serious, monsieur."

"You are seriously saying that we should just offer these traitors pardon for their crimes?"

"Would you rather throw more men's lives away if we can avoid it?"

"If you're saying this just because of those two children," the officer began.

"What does it matter to you what my reasons are?" Javert challenged. "You want this rebellion to be over, do you not? What does it matter to you how it ends? Or do you seek to personally slay every student's life?"

The commanding officer blinked. He never would have thought he'd see this from Inspector Javert. He soon realized that he had nothing to counter Javert's questions. Javert was right. It didn't matter the rebellion ended, so long as it did. He nodded after a long moment of hesitation.

"Very well Inspector, I will do as you've asked. But if they refuse, I will be forced to take action against them."

Javert nodded. "That is all I ask of you." He then paused for a moment before adding, "Let us hope that they agree."

…

Joly took a deep breath as he approached the back entrance of café Musain. He slowly opened the door and entered the back of the café. He sighed in relief when he saw that there were no bodies lying on the floor. There hadn't been any casualties in his absence. But that feeling of relief would be very short-lived. He could hear the sound of cannons. Joly knew that they had not planned on facing artillery. The barricade would not last long against that kind of firepower. He realized he would have to act fast if he were to be able to save Marius. He quickly ran towards the front of the café. When he exited through the front door, he saw that the battle was in full force. He saw that a few students had fallen, and that even more soldiers had fallen. Despite this, Joly somehow knew that their cause was hopeless. He doubted many of his friends would live to see tomorrow.

_There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes._

Joly found no consolation in their rally call. Enjolras had been so certain that the people would rise up, but those people were nowhere to be seen. They were fighting on their own. Joly sighed. There was no time to think about that. He had a task before him, and he would have to act fast. He ran towards the barricade and began to try and find Marius.

…

Éponine continued to cry softly as she sat on the bed. She had whispered her prayer several times over, but feared that Marius would still die. What would happen if he died? She would be devastated, for starters. Where would she go? The only reason Gillenormand had taken her in was because Marius had asked him. Would he let her stay if he died? If he threw her out, where would she go? She couldn't go back to her parents. Her father would be furious at her. She knew she would face some kind of punishment for stopping their attempted robbery at Rue Plumet. She tried to put that thought out of her mind, but found it more difficult with each passing moment.

"I took a bullet for him, and I'd gladly do it again. But I can't save him this time. Why, Marius? Why did you go back? How could you do this to me?" she whimpered. She then heard someone knock on her door. "Yes?' she called out. The door opened to reveal the household maid.

"I think it would best if I bathed you. Your wounds could get infected if I don't," she said hesitantly.

Éponine nodded. The maid stepped towards the bed and helped her stand up. Éponine hated being helped like this but knew there was no way around it. Until her wound had completely healed, she would need to be helped around. She was then helped out of her room and into the hallway. Éponine noticed that Gillenormand was standing just outside the doorway. He nodded slightly and said, "It is good to see that you are awake." Éponine's eyes widened momentarily. She was then led towards a washroom, where a tub of warm water was waiting for her. The maid helped Éponine out of her clothes and then gently lowered her into the water. Éponine had to admit that it felt nice. She wasn't used to bathing very often, and even less used to bathing in warm, clean, water. She smiled as, at least for the moment, all the tension seemed to melt away. The maid then began to scrub across her arms with a bar of soap. Éponine sighed as she felt years' worth of dirt, sweat, grime, and blood wash away. She soon came back to the present as the maid poured a bucket of water over her head and then reached for a bottle of shampoo. Neither woman spoke as the maid lathered the shampoo into Éponine's hair. Éponine sighed again as she felt her tangled mess of dark hair becoming clean for the first time in what must have been several years. The maid then left for a few minutes as Éponine relaxed. She then returned with a towel and motioned for Éponine to stand. Éponine was gently wrapped in a towel as the maid left the room once more. She returned a few minutes later and helped Éponine change into a simple gown. She smiled again. She was then led back to her bedroom. As they walked past the stairway leading to the front door, they saw the door open and three grimy figures standing outside. One of them collapsed shortly after the door opened. Éponine's eyes widened again and she gasped when she saw one of the figures.

…

"You on the barricade, listen to this!"

Enjolras turned and looked out to the street. Just a stone's throw away stood the French commander. Several lines of soldiers stood behind him.

"Revolutionaries, as you have noticed, no one has joined you. You have no chance of winning. We are offering you one last chance to surrender. If you agree, your lives will be spared."

Enjolras turned to face his friends. Silently he asked if they should surrender. Each student exchanged glances for the slightest of moments. Finally, each one shook their head. "Let them bleed," one student practically growled.

"If we fall, others will continue to rise until the Earth is free," Enjolras murmured. He turned back towards the French commander.

"Vive la France!" he shouted.

"Vive la France!" the students shouted in unison. The commander sighed wearily. They had not agreed to surrender. He turned to his fellow officer and said, "Bring in the artillery."

"Cannons!" the officer shouted. From the corner of the street, several soldiers wheeled large cannons towards the front of the line. The commander turned back to his soldiers and ordered them to affix their bayonets. Each soldier lowered their guns and attached them. After they had been affixed, they raised their guns back up and took aim at the students.

"Fire!" the commander shouted. A cloud of white smoke quickly filled the area as the first rounds of shots were fired. The commander watched grimly as the second attack officially commenced. For the next several minutes, it was complete chaos. Shots rang out on both sides. Men fell on both sides. Cannons fired. The barricade was becoming increasingly unstable. There were far too many soldiers for the students to hold off. As Marius hit a soldier with the end of his rifle, he heard someone shout his name.

Marius turned to face the voice that had addressed him. He started back when he saw Joly glaring at him. Before he had a chance to speak, a shot rang out. A bullet tore through Marius' left leg. He gasped in pain as he grabbed at his leg. He quickly collapsed and fell to the ground, landing awkwardly on his right arm. Joly quickly climbed down from the barricade and headed towards Marius. He frantically searched for a pulse. He quickly found one.

"Marius!" another voice shouted.

Joly turned around and saw Enjolras staring at them. He ran towards them.

"Joly, you need to get him out of here immediately!"

Joly nodded and tried to pick him up by the shoulders. He soon found that he couldn't carry him.

"He's too heavy. Someone is going to have to help me carry him!"

Enjolras quickly glanced back at the barricade to see who was still alive. He turned back just in time to see Fueilly be shot through the throat. He cringed as he saw the man writhing, gagging on his own blood as he died. As he continued to look around, he quickly saw the best man he could think of.

"Courfeyrac!" Enjolras shouted.

Courfeyrac quickly turned around to look at Enjolras.

"You need to leave the barricade. You need to help carry Marius away from here."

Marius' closest friend obediently climbed down from the barricade and rushed to his side. He picked Marius up by his legs and the two men began to carry him away from the barricade. As they approached the entrance to the café, Joly stopped in realization.

"We're surrounded on all sides! There's no way out!"

The quickly turned around and ran back towards the barricade. They looked around frantically, trying to find some way out. Courfeyrac's eyes narrowed as he suddenly thought of their only escape route.

"Our only way out is through the sewers."

Joly's face turned pale. "The sewers?" he asked hesitantly. Courfeyrac nodded. Joly knew he would have to be brave. They both ran towards a sewer gate and knelt down. Joly leaned in and whispered to Marius, "If I get sick from this, I'm blaming you." Joly knew that Marius probably couldn't hear him, but he didn't really care. Courfeyrac would have smirked had the circumstances been less severe.

Joly reached at the sewer gate, pulling it open. A shot fired past him. On instinct, Joly took out his pistol and aimed it at the soldier who had shot at him. He pulled on the trigger and shot him down. None of the other soldiers were paying any attention to them. Joly knelt known and backed through the sewer gate, still carrying Marius by the shoulders. There was barely enough room for the two of them to crawl. Joly looked back every few seconds to see where they were going. He knew there would be a chute coming up. After what couldn't have been more than a few minutes, he noticed that his feet were dangling over the edge of something. He turned around and saw that they had come upon the chute. He turned back to Courfeyrac and said, "We're about to drop down to the main channel. On the count of three, we will slide down." He tightened his grip on Marius' shoulders.

"One."

Courfeyrac tightened his grip on Marius' legs.

"Two."

Joly took one step backwards, inching closer to the edge. Courfeyrac followed.

"Three."

Joly stepped backwards again and dropped down the chute, Courfeyrac close behind. Joly closed his eyes, hoping that they wouldn't hit anything when they emerged from the chute. A few seconds later, they dropped into the main sewer channel, Joly hitting his shoulder hard on the wall. He grunted in pain as he grabbed at it.

"Long live the revolution!" they heard someone mockingly shout. Joly felt his blood freeze. Were soldiers down here, too? Joly looked to his left and saw a figure examining the other bodies lying in the sewer. He motioned for Courfeyrac to lie down. Joly followed, not caring that he was lying in sewage. They waited until the figure would either pass them by or they would pounce on him. Joly soon realized that the figure had stopped and was standing over them.

"Hello, what have we here?" he could hear him say.

Joly discreetly opened his eye and saw the figure reach down and pick up something. It took all his self-control to keep himself from gagging when he saw that the man had picked a ring off of Marius' finger.

"Well, here's a pretty little ring. I guess you won't be needing it anymore."

Joly could feel his stomach turn. This man wasn't a soldier. He was someone robbing from the dead bodies. Joly quickly determined that this was their moment to act. He jumped up and grabbed the man by the neck. The man stumbled backwards.

"You're-you're alive!" he stuttered. Joly's grip tightened.

"How do I get out of here?" The man looked down and saw Courfeyrac's ABC pin.

"Ah, so you're one of the revolutionaries trying to escape, are you?" the man asked. A mischievous grin soon formed on his face. "I…might know the way out, but it will cost you."

Joly was in no mood for playing games. He threw the man against the sewer wall and grabbed him by the neck again. He pinned him at the wall to make sure he couldn't get away. He then took his gun out and pointed it at his temple.

"And it will cost you even more if you don't tell me within the next five seconds. Five…"

The man squirmed as he pointed to his left. "It's that way!" he shouted frantically. "All the way down that way and to the left."

Joly released the man from his grip and then shoved him once more. He helped Courfeyrac pick up Marius and they wandered off, completely ignoring the man. They slowly trudged their way through the sewers. At one point they were nearly completely submerged in sewage. "We need to keep him above the sewage! We don't want his wounds possibly getting infected!" Joly shouted. Courfeyrac nodded and hoisted Marius up as high as he could. After what seemed like several hours of running around, they reached a sewer gate that led outside. Joly kicked it open and they saw the sky. They climbed up a staircase and stopped suddenly. At the top of the stairs, staring down at them, stood Inspector Javert.

"B-but…but you're dead!" Courfeyrac shouted.

Javert slowly shook his head. "By all accounts I should be, but I am not. It might have been better if I were."

"Why are you down here?" Joly asked.

Javert looked past them and then said, "I could ask you the same thing. I heard a noise from the sewer shortly after the barricade fell. I thought you were someone else."

Joly immediately thought back to the man they encountered. "Someone else is down there. He was looting from the dead bodies."

Javert raised his eyebrows. "Was it the man who was supposed to shoot me?"

Courfeyrac shook his head. "No, I've never seen this man before."

Joly nervously took a step forward. "Inspector, please, let us through. If we don't get this man to a doctor, he will not live. Éponine will be devastated if he dies."

Javert blinked. "Éponine?"

Joly began to speak, but Javert was not paying any attention. Before either student could say anything further, Javert stood aside and waved them through. "Thank you, inspector," Joly whispered before he and Courfeyrac helped carry Marius to the street level. As they stepped into an alleyway, he became very aware of how dirty they were. At first, he simply hoped that the National Guard wouldn't find them, but as he thought about it, he didn't want to be seen by anyone at all in their current state. Fortunately, for his sake, it didn't seem like there would be many people out at that time. It was now dark outside. They had been wandering through the sewers for several hours. They could hardly see in front of them. Joly realized that, since the barricade had fallen, the National Guard could be looking for survivors. They could use the dark to their advantage. "Follow me," he whispered to Courfeyrac. "Where are we going?" Courfeyrac asked. Joly turned around and whispered, "Marius' grandfather's. He lives on Rue de Filles du Calvaire." They continued to make their way through dark alleyways and streets. They did not encounter the National Guard. Joly sighed in relief as they came upon Gillenormand's mansion. He hoped that he would soon get a chance to bathe. They quickened their pace as they approached the front door. Joly was completely exhausted as he reached the front door. He reached up and pounded on the door several times before it finally opened to reveal one of Gillenormand's servants, Gavroche standing a few steps behind him. "Send for that doctor gain," Joly gasped before he passed out on the floor.


End file.
